Former American President, Jimmy Carter Visits Nasarawa State

Former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Roslyn have paid a one day visit to Nasarawa State. Receiving the President, Governor Abdullahi Adamu recalled that the cooperation between Nasarawa State and the Carter Centre dated back as far as 1988 when efforts to eradicate cases of Malaria and Guinea Worms were initiated.

Welcoming his guests, Governor Adamu said President Carter joins the list of international guests whom the state, which though new, small and rural, has continued to attract as a sign of its rising profile among the states of the federal republic of Nigeria. He described President Carter as a world class personality whose commitment to peace and development around the world, both during his term in office and thereafter, has continued to draw international acclaim.

President Carter who was in Nasarawa State as part of the Carter Centers’ 25th anniversary in the areas of Guinea worm, Malaria, Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Trachoma and Schistosomiasis was accompanied by former Nigerian Head of State, Yakubu Gowon. Governor Adamu at the ceremony said the government had eliminated the incidence of guinea worms in the state and other diseases had been reduced to manageable levels. He also said the state government was providing free medical treatment for women, young children and the elderly.

Speaking later, President Carter his visit was to create additional awareness for the diseases and methods of controlling it. He said after the intervention of his centre, the incidence of the disease had been reduced from 65,000 cases in 2003 to just 16 cases in 2003.

Later at the palace of the emir of Nasarawa, President Carter and his wife were decorated with local costumes to signify their acceptance into the local community.